Posted on: Wednesday, June 13, 2001

Phone service aids hearing-impaired people

By Jessica Webster
Advertiser Staff Writer

A free Verizon telephone feature called the Speech-to-Speech Relay Service is now offered in Hawai'i to people with speech and hearing impairments.

The Speech-to-Speech service differs from the Telecommunications Relay Service because it does not require a text telephone or any special equipment, but uses specially trained operators who can relay, interpret and amplify a caller's words to the called party.

Service developer Bob Segalman, who also uses the service, said Speech-to-Speech will help people be more independent, and enjoy everyday uses of the telephone that were not necessarily available to them before.

"When I was a teenager, my grandmother used to have to call girls for me to ask them out on dates. Can you imagine?," he said. "With Speech-to-Speech, I talk instead of typing, and I can talk much faster. I can order pizza and argue with the IRS."

The Assistive Technology Resource Centers of Hawai'i estimates that more than 11,000 Hawai'i residents have speech disabilities. About 3,000 also have associated mobility limitations that prevent them from using text telephones.

Speech-to-Speech will be valuable to individuals with cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, laryngectomies, Alzheimer's disease, stuttering, muscular dystrophy, stroke and other conditions affecting volume or clarity of speech.

Segalman said the new challenge will be to inform people that the service is free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Verizon publishes a local TRS guide with numbers for customers who are deaf, hard of hearing and speech-disabled. The guide lists agencies and organizations that provide services for people with speech or hearing disabilities. TRS user guides are available in local Verizon PhoneMarts or by calling 711.

For information, call Verizon Hawai'i's TRS at 711; for STS, call 643-0787.